A Conquest, A War
by Andromeda Writes
Summary: "Being raised on Luna seems to really mess people up. She wouldn't be the lovable cyborg we've all come to adore."
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I have no rights at all to the Lunar Chronicles. I just write fanfic for it.

* * *

"Oh, Prince Kaito! We simply _must _stop meeting like this!" She fluttered her lashes, giggling like a school girl might.

Kai rolled his eyes, noting that the corridor he had been heading down was practically deserted. She had a knack for 'running into him' when he was alone. "This is getting old, Selene."

"Whatever do you mean?" she asked, her bottom lip jutting out in feigned ignorance.

He glared at her. "Do you ever get sick of following me around the palace like a lost puppy every time you visit?"

"Puppies are quite adorable, aren't they?" she tittered.

He cleared his throat. "Well, sorry to cut this short, but I'm looking for my father."

Kai turned to leave and with the slightest bend in one of his bioelectric waves in her favor, he froze mid-step. "Don't you want to do something with me?"

The look he gave her could've killed if it'd had the chance. "Only if that something involves us throwing ourselves into a fire."

Princess Selene clucked her tongue, "My, my, my, Your Highness. If my dear, poor aunt were here, she wouldn't be so appreciative of your jokes! You know how she hates fires."

"I apologize, Selene," said Kai, a frustrated edge to his voice. "It was not meant to be taken as a jab at Her Highness, but I can understand why you felt that it was."

She took a step towards him, her heels giving her enough height to put them at eye-level. Her gaze was hard, though she kept her charming smile plastered to her face. "Why do you always only address me as Selene? It's not very polite of you. Especially not when I've always addressed you as 'Your Highness" and 'Prince'."

"I apologize again." Kai would have walked away if she hadn't been holding him there. "I will do my best to address you properly in the future."

Her smirk became almost mocking. "Such a charming, sweet prince. Come, let's do something together. We could… tour the gardens – you know how I love the gardens here – or you could take me to the marketplace! The pictures and vids make it look rather bland, but surely there must be something appealing about it."

"It's a nice atmosphere." He felt compelled to answer, though he couldn't convince himself it was because she was making him want to. "Everyone's happy and laughing. Makes everything feel a bit more worth it."

"Adorable," said Selene in her sweet saccharine voice that iced Kai's veins every time. "You should take me. Show me what it's all about."

"All right, fine. However, the point of it all might completely escape you, Princess."

"Only one way to find out! Would you like me to glamour us as an uninteresting couple?"

He leveled a glare at her. "No. I have my own means of disguising myself and it doesn't involve manipulation. I will have to go to my room, but I'll only be gone a moment."

Selene took a step away from him again and put her hands on her hips. "And you won't let me accompany you?"

"You can wait here. I won't be long." He could feel his fingernails digging crescent moons into the hands clasped so tightly behind his back.

She released her hold on his legs, though grabbed at another wave of bioelectricity. She twisted this one in her favor, too. "If we're going to be married one day, we really should spend as much time as we can together."

He gestured toward an elevator at the end of the corridor and, despite not wanting her to come, she was forcing him to let her; that much he knew. "My father will not agree to a marriage alliance. Queen Channary will have to achieve it some other way."

They stepped into the elevator and she pursed her lips, her hands folded politely in front of her, "At this point, I'd hoped that you would be begging to marry me. You mean to say you don't love me yet, Prince Kaito?"

"Love you?" His eyes slid to her. "I don't even _like _you."

She laughed loudly. "I do love how honest you are when that wretched Torin isn't around. But, honestly, do you feel nothing for me?"

"Burning hatred, mostly." He was sure he was drawing blood from his palm at this point. "Whatever I feel when you're around never lingers after you're gone, so it makes it easier to resist your manipulation when you _are _around. To remind myself that none of it is ever real."

"Well, you can't blame me for trying." She tittered again. Kai would gouge out his own ear drums if it meant he never had to hear the sound. "I don't need love, anyway. Just loyalty. My mother always says that love is a conquest, a war. Who needs that? I just need your time. And an heir." With the last word, she winked at him. His stomach turned.

"How sad that the lovely princess has doomed herself to a loveless life," he said emotionlessly.

Selene flourished one arm through the air. "No matter. Have you ever met a couple that was actually in love? It's so pathetic the way they make excuses saying that they are. I see right through all of them."

"My parents are-were," Kai said, dropping his gaze to the marble tiles of the elevator as they neared the 14th floor.

"Ah, right. The lovely empress and emperor. They were the most convincing, I believe. Not that it matters now." She stuck her chin up in the air and giggled, "You know, my mother used to say that the Empress was-"

"-Do you have any thoughts of your own, or do you just commit your mother's words to memories and regurgitate them when they fit?"

Her smile faded and Kai felt a hint of pride in knowing that he'd struck a nerve – she never let her glamour show her as anything other than a figure of ethereal happiness. His throat and tongue iced over as her hands fell to her sides, balling into fists. "How dare you speak to me like that. You do _not _interrupt me when I'm speaking, and you do not speak so ill of me in my presence!" She nudged his will and he was on a knee, a fist folded over his heart, his head down at a weird angle. "Now, apologize, Your Highness, or I will see to it that this will not go unpunished."

He clenched his jaw. She always told him how pathetic it was that earthens were so easy to control, that he should be ashamed that he wasn't better at resisting it. At resisting her. "I am deeply sorry for how I treated you, Your Highness. I spoke out of turn and my words were unkind. I hope you can forgive me." His words were even and doubtfully his own.

She released her hold on him and he pulled himself up using the bar along the elevator wall. "Such touching words," said Selene. "How could I deny a darling apology like that?"

Kai said nothing and pushed through the doors of the elevator as soon as they'd opened, keeping his eyes anywhere but on her. He disappeared into his room for a moment – leaving her standing in the corridor with her arms crossed and her foot tapping impatiently – before reappearing in a baggy grey sweatshirt that fell halfway to his knees.

"Well, it's about _time_," she said, though he hadn't even been gone a grand total of 45 seconds. "Good stars above, you look terrible." She swept her gaze over him, disgust evident in her well-glamoured features. "Usually, you're more like-" she fanned herself for a moment, emitting a low whistle, "but this is just... disappointing."

"That's the point," he replied. "No one ever recognizes me like this when I go out." He pulled his hood over his head and waved his hand at her. "What glamour will you go out in?"

The image of her wavered for a half-second and suddenly, she was a grungy teenage girl with fine, brown hair pulled into a messy ponytail, with gloves and boots, a tank top and baggy cargo pants.

Kai thought he felt his lungs hitch. She looked so… normal and plain and there was even a grease smudge on her cheek. He almost liked it. But, of course, it _was _Princess Selene. The girl before him was fake – a fake voice, a fake laugh, a fake, simplistic beauty.

"I'm a lowly mechanic." She smirked. "It fits perfectly with your look!"

"That's actually not a bad look on you."

She rolled her eyes as her glamour transitioned smoothly back into the one she always kept – tanned skin and thick, brown hair flawlessly curled, a long, silver dress, and striking lavender eyes.

"Right, well," he muttered, clearing his throat. "Let's get this over with."

* * *

**Author's Note**: This fic came to me in a dream…. No, not really. It came in the form of my friend Hamdi saying, "[A], listen to this TOTALLY COOL FIC IDEA," back in, like, November. I never knew what to do about it, until I was driving home from the Fairest event I attended and it was 12 AM and I was very tired and very hungry and it was very dark outside, and I was alone, and I just kind of started talking to myself to keep myself awake (it works; don't knock it 'til you try it). I said a few opening sentences and the rest is basically history.

And I can say that this fic would not be nearly as amazing as it turned out to be (and that's saying a lot coming from me, who wrote it) if it hadn't been for lovelunarchron being a critical and yet very loving beta reader (as all betas should be, which is why you should _never _ask me to beta your fic, because I am all love and no critique). She is the best, truly. The good news is that I might be a better writer now. The bad news is that my ego is currently lying in a heap of ashes in the corner of my campus apartment (not really) (like I said, she is very loving).

Anyway, I hope you liked it! The rest of it is completely written so just tell me how often you would like me to update it (and don't say all at once, I want to space it out for late-comers, but just know that I love you all, ok?).


	2. Chapter 2

There it was again, that intruding idea that she always mistakenly thought she'd snuffed out already. The slight jolt in her stomach that told her not to be so hopeless. The skipped beat of her heart that told her everything didn't have to be so fake with him.

She felt particularly awful about forcing him to apologize to her. She knew his words weren't unfounded, and she could hear Winter in the back of her mind telling her how mean and unnecessary her actions were. She could hear her mother telling her how _well _she'd done.

She ground her teeth against it all as the elevator began to descend.

Princess Selene did _not _believe in love. Absolutely no way in all of the Milky Way would she ever subject herself to a lie like that one. Her mother made sure of that from the day she was born. And if Queen Channary found out she was even _entertaining _the very thought, she would laugh at Selene. The princess didn't mind a hit, or even outright being ignored, but to be laughed at by her mother? It would have been too much.

Besides, there was no doubt that she and Kai would be married to alliance their two countries. The thaumaturges and court had already worked out that she would live in the Commonwealth until it was her time to ascend the throne, and their two eldest children would be split up between the planets to act as heirs.

Of course, that last part was _only _if her mother failed in achieving the one goal she wanted to attain, the idea stolen from her baby sister, Levana – to turn Luna and Earth into a single country with a monarchy to rule over them.

Failure was unlikely. Her mother always got exactly what she wanted. Including a daughter who held the same ideas and ideals as her. The only thing she needed was power and loyalty. The power was hers and she could manipulate loyalty out of anyone. Selene could, too.

But Selene wanted something else as well. Power and loyalty would be handed to her once she ascended the throne; she didn't have to worry about such frivolous things. She wanted Prince Kai, though not through manipulation. She truly wanted him to love her, whatever that meant. She'd known it since they met when they were still kids, and the desire never faded.

* * *

"Mother, is that Prince Kaito?" Selene asked, brushing her fingers across her mother's arm.

Channary rolled her eyes. "Obviously, my love."

"Obviously," Selene mumbled, training her eyes back on Kai.

The prince was _handsome_ – for a 14-year-old, at least. Maybe a bit too lanky, his arms a little too long for his slender body, but stars, Selene couldn't believe that that's who her mother promised to marry her to.

As he and his father approached, her heart began to race. Kai bowed gracelessly to her before taking her right hand and brushing an awkward kiss across the knuckles. Her heart thudded. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Princess Selene."

The words sputtered out of her. "Th-thank you, Prince Kaito. Same to you."

He dropped her hand and smiled sweetly and she swallowed hard.

Sure, she was only twelve, but she was pretty sure she was already in love.

As an heir to the Lunar throne, she was always permitted to go see plays put on by the national theatre on Luna. Her mother never attended them, but sometimes, her uncle took her and Winter along. She had watched love blossom on stage between two characters, and she had wanted that more than anything. Even before they met, she knew she and Kai would be perfect together. He was a prince, she was a princess. It made sense! It was meant to be! It had to be.

Her mother had promised her his hand, and her mother always got what she wanted, but Selene decided she and Kai would have a passionate, burning love. They would fall in love for real, like the characters in the plays, and not just because their countries required it of them.

And she'd do anything to win that honor.

_Anything._

* * *

Selene and her mother did not visit the Commonwealth again until she was 14. At that point, she was in full control of her glamour and had perfected it with the help of a tutor.

When she met Kai again, she was the embodiment of perfect beauty and grace, and having just turned 16, he was the most handsome man in all of the galaxy.

"It's an honor to meet you again, Prince Kaito," said Selene, curtseying as he approached.

He lifted her hand to kiss it and repeated the sentiments, and it was here that she clutched his will. His movements stiffened slightly and she smirked.

He _needed _her, he had to have her. She was feeding him these truths – for he would one day come to find them to be purely facts.

Channary would be proud. Selene was _just _like her mother.

He had spent the entire week that she was on Earth competing for her affections, much to his apparent dismay, and she'd loved every second of it.

When she'd told Winter all about it, she expected her cousin to be proud of her.

She'd never been more wrong.

Winter had been nothing if not enraged with her for manipulating him when she could've just been nice instead, which would have, apparently, yielded much better results.

"He should love you because he wants to," Winter had said to her, "not because you force him to."

But what did Winter know? Channary always said to fight for what she wanted, and isn't that what Selene was doing?

Love was a conquest. Love was a war.

Mother knows best, after all.

* * *

She glanced around as they stepped out of the hover. "It's pretty crowded."

"It's the marketplace," he replied. She noticed how painful it seemed for him to tear his eyes away from her – his gaze lingering just a half-second too long. She smiled proudly behind her glamour. "It's always crowded."

Selene crossed her arms. "_Well_, take me to a shop or something. Don't you want to buy me something, Pri-uh, Kai?"

"It'll draw attention," he told her. "Maybe next time."

"You're so unpleasant," she grumbled, eyeing the shops as they passed. "This really isn't all that great. Artemisia is absolutely marvelous, no matter the time of day or year. Especially AR-4! Their dress boutiques are to die for. I can't believe I ever thought _Earth _could live up to my standards."

He quirked an eyebrow. "So, Luna is better, then? Your artificial environment is better than a real, natural one?" She shot him a warning look, but he continued. "We don't need scientists knowing just how much of something to throw into the atmosphere in order to make those thrive. Earth does that itself. It's natural. It's real."

"Who cares," said Selene. "If it looks good, who cares how it got that way?"

"I suspect that that's why you're so fond of your glamour."

With a simple thought, as easy as controlling her own limbs, his feet stopped beneath him and he toppled forward.

Selene laughed loudly as Kai clambered back to his feet, eliciting stares and hard-to-hide chuckles from those around them. He brushed himself off and eyed her with complete distrust. "I must've offended you pretty bad to make you do that."

She simply shrugged. "I just had to remind you who's really in power here."

"How could I forget?"

* * *

When they arrived back at the palace, Selene's guilt had almost eaten her alive.

Stars above, she felt _guilty_ for embarrassing him. Her mother would be so ashamed.

She tossed a glance at Kai, carefully choosing her words. "Sorry for tripping you earlier, Your Highness."

His returned look was a lot cooler than she expected. "Whatever."

"It was rude of me," she continued, tugging at the fabric of her dress, having dropped her disguise.

"I'm glad that you've recognized that, Princess."

She grimaced. Maybe she was just a bit too cruel to him. Sometimes.

The way he reacted to her manipulation made it painfully clear: he obviously didn't love her at all, and she couldn't seem to make any progress no matter how much time she spent with him.

* * *

**Author's Note**: Princess Selene has a heart! Who knew! So, counting it up, this will be six chapters in all. I will probably post a chapter a week :D I'm posting this one early because, well, I _can_. There's a reason for it. Just trust me on this one.


	3. Chapter 3

Her hair was poufed atop her head and it was clear that she'd just woken up.

"_Winter_," she whispered, "I need your help."

"Selene?" Her step-cousin yawned. "It's the middle of the night. Her Highness will kill you if she sees you up."

"I've seen her bedmate for this evening. Well, bedmates." She made a face. "Believe me, she won't be prowling around the palace any time soon. I need your help."

Winter yawned quietly. "Is it about His Hi-"

"_Yes_. How do I get him to fall in love with me?"

"Selene, you do not believe in love," Winter replied succinctly. "How can you make someone do something that you yourself do not believe in? Well, without using your gift, that is…."

Selene narrowed her eyes at her cousin, safe at home on the moon. "It doesn't matter. Just tell me how to do it."

"Why?"

"Mother's methods are clearly not working out for me."

"_Clearly_." Winter quirked an eyebrow. "It took you this long to believe me?"

"Yeah, I know. Whatever. Please, just help me!" Selene hated begging, and Winter knew it better than anyone.

"Stop using your glamour around him."

"What? Are you- _what_?"

"Crazy? Quite. I'm also honest, and he'll like it if you're honest with him."

She stitched her eyebrows together. "I am honest with him."

Winter's glare sent a shudder down her spine, even from hundreds of thousands of kilometers away. "Courting is a lot different down there. Earthens don't prove their worth to a potential partner with power plays. They actually, you know, respect each other. Talk about their interests. Show their true selves – or so I've heard."

"True selves? _Ha_. Right, okay. So I don't use my glamour. Then what? Be-" She paused to laugh. "Be _nice_? I don't know how to do that!"

"You used to be very nice, Selene. Just because your mother doesn't approve doesn't mean it isn't a good thing." She leaned in as close as she could, the scars on her cheek illuminated by the light from the netscreen. "Compliment him. Pretend you're talking to Jacin, only be, like, a thousand times friendlier."

An eyebrow shot up. "Prince Kaito is way too cute. I can't just pretend like he's _Jacin_. Gross."

Winter bristled. "Well, that is all the advice I have for you. I think I hear someone coming, so I should get going before they think I'm having another nightmare. Goodnight, Selene."

She cut off the connection before Selene could stop her.

* * *

At first sunlight, Selene pulled herself out of bed – she hadn't slept much at all – and moved to the bathroom adjacent to her bedroom to get ready for the day. She tapped out the proper shower settings on the netscreen implanted into the wall and then started to decide what she would wear that day.

If she wasn't going to glamour herself, she could _at least _try and look beautiful, though she didn't have any makeup with her, and her hair wouldn't do anything other than just fall straight down and fan awkwardly around her head if there was any sort of air current.

Okay, so maybe she didn't have to completely drop her glamour…. Just, maybe not use it for the small things. She left a few things alone, and decided it would be enough for now. Perhaps it would be adequate – he had liked her mechanic look, anyway, and it wasn't exactly far-off from her actual appearance.

She found him in the breakfast room an hour and a half later. Kai glanced up at her, though didn't make any indication that he recognized her, which was strange. The only thing she'd left free of glamour were her eyes and her skin color, and her hair was just a _bit _flatter than it usually was. She also exaggerated her hips and bust a little less, but not enough to be unrecognizable – of course, she was only assuming. She never saw her glamour anywhere but in her own mind and in artist-rendered portraits.

Selene gulped. "Good morning, Prince Kaito."

"I'm sorry-," he stopped as realization bloomed in his eyes. "Princess Selene?"

"Who else?" She forced a smile.

"I didn't recognize you without your trademark lavender eyes." He pushed his breakfast plate away and cleared his throat. "This looks like a cleaner version of your 'grungy mechanic' glamour from yesterday." A hand scratched at his ear. "When did you come up with it?"

"This is more of what I look like naturally." She lifted a shoulder. "I've toned down my glamour a bit."

"You've toned it down?"

"Yes."

He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it again, as if he couldn't find any words to continue the conversation. "Uh, sit-sit down." Kai turned to a servant. "Bring her a plate, won't you?"

A small tinge of a blush spread across Selene's cheeks before she took the seat presented to her by another servant. She muttered a rare 'thank you' and sat down directly across from Kai, her eyes trained on the tabletop. "So, at risk of sounding vain, what do you think?"

"Of what?"

"My-how do I look with brown eyes and almost no figure?" She gave an anxious laugh.

"You look normal." Her eyes widened in horror. "I-I mean, it's-it's not a bad thing! It's actually a really good thing. People aren't supposed to have unnaturally colored eyes," he stammered.

She pressed her lips, "So you don't think I'm pretty with my full glamour?"

"I do. But that's the point, isn't it? Glamour is supposed to make other people see what you want them to. You're beautiful with your glamour because you want others to think that. I think you look b-uh, nice like this."

The princess grinned down at the table. "I think you're beginning to kind of like me, Prince Kaito."

His laugh was abrupt. "Try not to be too hopeful, Your Highness. It'll take a lot more than that to impress me. I am curious as to what made you not want to use your full glamour today, though."

"I just wanted to see how you'd react," she lied, smiling.

"And now that you know?"

"I think I might stay like this a little longer. It was cute how flustered you were when I walked in." She kept her smile pinned to her face as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "I may not have impressed you yet, but it's a good start!"

* * *

Kai pushed a smile, his heart in his throat. He knew it was a trick; she was just trying to get him to think she was actually worth his time and effort. Trying to convince him that a marriage alliance was something he could actually want.

He knew better than to fall for that.

She was always coming up with some reason to be around him, some reason to talk to him, to make him think of her. There were times when they were having dinner with the emperor and other nobles from the Lunar court and he could feel the tears pricking his eyes, feel how much she made him _need _her.

It'd been a while since she'd done it, but it never stopped being old.

If only Selene had taken after Winter and stopped using her gift once she'd had the ability to control it. She was pretty; even just showing up with her natural eyes and skin color had shown him that, but he could never avoid the fact that she had manipulated him in the past. Would in the future.

Maybe, just maybe, if things had been different, there would be a chance. But she'd ruined all of that a long time ago.

* * *

**Author's Note**: HEY! So, I just wanted to say thanks SO MUCH to everyone who's left reviews. I'm terrible and never usually thank people directly, but just know that getting the notification warms my frigid soul. Seriously, you're all the best. I hope you liked the third part here! We're halfway done, oh boy...

(Side Note: WOAH the official blog reblogged the post I made about this on Tumblr! I KIND OF hyperventilated just a bit... Good thing I didn't burn my dinner...)


	4. Chapter 4

There remained only two days until Princess Selene, her mother, and their thaumaturges and guards all returned to Luna. Kai was absolutely _elated _about this prospect. He, for one, couldn't wait to walk around the palace without hearing Selene's dress swishing behind her as she tried to sneakily follow him.

She used her toned-down glamour in front of him all day, and he felt a sort of pride in that fact, but made sure to smother it down. It was just another trick she had up her sleeve, no doubt.

He made his way back to his personal quarters from the guest wing, having just had a discussion with one of the guards there about advanced security until the Lunar royals left – there were always more risks just before departures.

As he passed Selene's room, his feet stalled beneath him. It took him a moment to realize he'd stopped himself, no outside manipulation necessary. His brain had registered her quiet sobs before he did and he moved a step closer to her door.

It was clear she was trying, and failing, to keep quiet and not draw attention to herself.

Inhaling, he swiped his wrist across the scanner of the door. From inside, he heard a speaker announce his request for entrance.

Her voice was chipper when she granted access and he knew before he was able to push the door open that she would have her glamour up.

"Selene?" He said from the doorway. "Are you all right?"

Princess Selene was standing to the side of her bed, dressed in a modest night gown, her hair pulled to one side. "I'm lovely, Prince Kaito. May I ask why you've come?" She smirked. "Or, perhaps, you could _show _me why?"

Kai cleared his throat, unsure of whether to blush or gag. "I, uh, I heard you… from the corridor. I was speaking with a guard and was just returning to my own chambers, actually."

Her smile faded. "Oh, my apologies. I didn't intend to bother you."

He entered the room and shut the door behind him, maintaining his distance so as not to make her uncomfortable. He hated himself for what he was about to ask, hating that he still had a softness even after all she'd done to him.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"You shouldn't meddle, Prince Kaito. I am perfectly fine."

His narrowed his eyes and, after a moment, watched her shudder and then release most of her glamour.

It took everything in Kai not to reel back at the sight–completely opposite of what she had looked like only moments before. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, her nose running, her cheeks flushed.

Except for the left one. It was sporting a blossoming bruise.

He did his best not to run to her, but he cautiously made his way over. "A-are you okay? Who did this to you? Tell me, and they'll be punished immediately."

"You can't punish the queen of Luna." Something flashed in Selene's eyes and she called up her glamour again, too embarrassed for even showing him in the first place. "Besides, it's not a big deal. Mother gets angry all of the time."

"What was the crime?"

She moved to awkwardly play with the sheets of her bed. "I believe she was informed that I was in your presence without my glamour." She swallowed hard. "Which isn't true. I informed her that I kept most of it up. Regardless, she thinks it's silly that I'm trying to win you over by being myself when I could do it by force. She says I'm just like Levana."

"Oh."

"Which is strange," she continued, tugging the sheets up and then back again. "Aunt Levana uses her glamour and manipulation all of the time. I think my mother just wanted to compare me to her. It's always a bad thing when someone is 'like' Levana."

"Oh."

"Well, I should be getting to sleep now. You should go before people think we're up to something." With a knowing smile, she pulled back the blankets of her bed.

Kai shoved his hands into his pockets. "Have you ever seen a movie, Your Highness?"

She quirked an eyebrow. "You know very well that we do not record things on Luna."

"Would you like to? Watch a movie, I mean. There's a showing room attached to my sitting room. It's comfy. There's a fully-stocked snack bar. If you want to, I mean."

"What will your guards think when they see us walking towards your personal quarters so late at night?"

Kai gave her a smile. "They're not to think anything, of course. Come on, no one will start any rumors. If they do, I suppose we know who to suspect."

She didn't move for a moment, studying him. Finally, she smirked and crossed her arms. "Give me two minutes to get changed and clean myself up."

They made their way to the other end of the palace using corridors that Kai knew were typically secluded. Selene swiveled her gaze over to him, keeping her voice low. "I'm not unintentionally glamouring you, am I? Well, full glamour, I mean."

Kai didn't mean to grin like he did. "Nope."

"Oh, good," said Selene, and then silence settled around them again. They turned a corner and she scratched at her wrist. "So, uh, what movie are we watching?"

"One of my favorites," he told her as he swiped his wrist across the scanner outside of the viewing room. "It's a romantic film, I hope you don't mind. I'm a sucker for them."

She laughed quietly. "You strike me as the type."

Kai shot her a look. "Are you judging me, Princess?"

"No, not at all. Maybe I'm the type, too. I guess we'll have to find out."

"I guess."

* * *

Princess Selene was most certainly _not _the type.

Sure, she wanted the things that the female protagonist in the movie wanted, too – love, acceptance, friendship – but this was just _pathetic_.

"Do they even like each other?" she asked as the credits began to roll. "Like, clearly they were in love the whole time or whatever, but are they even friends?"

He listed his head. "You didn't like it."

"Of course not! Look at them. They're supposedly in love, but I really don't think they could stand each other if they were just friends!"

His gaze intensified, switching immediately from playful to serious. "So, you understand why that wouldn't make sense? Someone who doesn't even consider you a friend can't just fall in love with you." She blinked, drew her eyebrows together. "It's unrealistic, right?"

It took only half a second for realization to dawn on her face, and she was immediately red. "Right."

She jumped to her feet. "I should get to my room."

Kai stood slowly from the cushion. "Would you like me to accompany you?"

"No, I'll be fine."

"You're leaving soon. You know it's always more dangerous just before you leave. We can't take any chances."

Defeated, her shoulders fell. "All right."

They walked back to her room together. He kept his hands shoved into his pockets and she didn't look over at him once. The entire walk was silent, like there was a heaviness between them that neither of them thought they could overcome.

At her door, she turned to him at last. "I think I like movies. Maybe not the one we watched, but I think I could like them. I wish we had them on Luna."

He smiled. "I'm glad. We'll have to watch more next time you come to visit."

Her eyes brightened. "Can we? We could even get in another tomorrow night!"

"If you're up to sneaking out again, I'll be glad to find another movie. You think you'd like action? Or SciFi action? There's a movie that just came out about teleportation to other galaxies. I watched it a few weeks ago. It's mind blowing."

"Teleportation? I'm in. I'll see you at breakfast?" Her eyes dropped to his lips for a moment before meeting his gaze again.

He took a breath to keep himself from blushing. "I'll see you at breakfast, Your Highness. Goodnight."

Biting her lip, Selene swiped her wrist across the scanner outside of her room."Goodnight."

She slipped away into the bedroom and Kai waited until he heard the door lock behind her to leave. He felt a touch of… something deep down, but he shoved it to the back of his mind, refusing to let himself believe that Selene was redeemable. But still, he couldn't convince himself that she was all that bad. Maybe Selene had a soft side, less like her mother, who raised her, more like her step-cousin, who she was raised with. Maybe it was possible for Lunars to have feelings other than greed and malice and desires aside from power and manipulation.

When he returned to his room, he settled against the wall his bed was situated on and exhaled a sigh. Maybe if things had been different – if she wasn't so hard to trust, if her mother was anyone other than Channary herself, things would be more hopeful for them.

He still didn't want to marry her.

* * *

Selene was never certain of anything. Life was far too fickle to feel certainty.

However, she was more than one hundred percent sure of one thing.

She _really _wanted to marry him.

No, she had to.

All she could think about was how badly she wanted to kiss him only a minute ago, and how much she still wanted to. The things she would do to make sure that happened in the future. Even if only once.

She would let it happen only with his consent. She would not coax desire for her out of him like her mother; would not coax love for her out of him like her aunt.

She would do it the right way. It was just a matter of trying to convince him that she was being honest.

That would be the hard part. Selene was raised to manipulate and lie her way to the top, to use whatever means necessary to get exactly what she wanted. She couldn't do that with Kai. He was too pure, too… sweet. Too sweet and full of love and all she wanted was some of it directed at her.

Selene tried to be realistic about it, but she never thought about what it would be like if her feelings for him were never requited. How she'd feel. Maybe she would hate him. Maybe she would hate herself. Maybe she would never fall in love with another.

As sleep took over, she resigned herself to simply not thinking about it.

That's when she heard it.

A soft laughter coming from the closet, the door being pushed open.

"Oh, that's darling," said a voice she knew all too well.

* * *

**Author's Note**: C-c-c-cliffhanger. So, what do you guys think? Think Kai might fall into her trap? Do you think it's a trap at all?


	5. Chapter 5

It was when Kai was walking into his bathroom that he realized that he hadn't seen a single guard on the walk back to his personal quarters.

Suspicion welled up inside of him immediately and he made to run back to her room. Something was wrong. Something, and he wasn't sure what, but he knew he had to get to her.

He did not stop to think about why he should care. He _had _to get to her.

His heart was pounding in his chest. As he ran, he unclipped his port from his belt and sent a quick message to the night shift head of security, putting it away as he rounded the corner.

Kai knocked on the door–lightly, at first. "Selene?" he said, just loud enough for it to transfer through the door between them. "Selene, are you up?"

When there was no reply, he swiped his wrist. He listened to the speaker announce him inside.

He heard her voice allow him entrance, and something about it set him completely on edge, the hairs on the back of his neck standing up.

"Selene?" He whispered again, pushing on into the room.

She was draped against one of the bed posts, a seductive grin on her face. "Why, Prince Kaito. You came back."

Tears pricked at the back of his eyes and he knew this was way, way off. He stiffened. "Did you notice there were no guards in this hall when I was walking you back?"

She shrugged with a single shoulder. "I was hoping you would notice and come back for me. I sent them away in hopes of getting you alone."

He narrowed his eyes. No, this definitely was not right. "Where's Selene?"

With an abrupt laugh, the image before him faded, and Queen Channary herself took its place. "You're a smart one, Your Highness. I think I underestimated you."

Floating over to him, she extended a hand to brush against his cheek. "You are absolutely adorable when you're worried. Selene must be pleased to know that this is a clear sign that you care for her!"

Unable to stop himself, he swatted her hand away. "What did you do with her?"

"Oh, she's just freshening up in the bathroom. Do tell me, Prince Kaito. What are your intentions?"

He bristled. "I realized there were no guards present when I went back to my personal quarters. I was merely concerned for her safety."

"Her safety, huh?" Channary's giggle was too light for a grown woman in her late 30s. The sound grated against his ear drums. "You care for her! What a feat, truly." With a simple flick of her fingers, Kai moved to the side so she could leave. "Do tread lightly, Your Highness. I am quite protective of my dear Selene."

With that, she was gone.

"Selene?" he called again as soon as the door latched.

He heard a weak groan from the bathroom.

"Lights on," he commanded. His eyes caught on a slumped figure in the corner and he rushed to her.

She tried to hold her glamour, but it continually disappeared as he noticed blood in brief flashes. He crouched before her and reached out to pull her hands away from her face.

Lavender eyes met his and his breath hitched at the surprise. "Drop your glamour. Let me help you."

"I'm fine." Even with that, her image wavered again. Blood, underlining the bruise that was already there.

"Selene," said Kai. There was a hint of concern just under the stern surface of his tone.

Her eyes turned cold and brown again, and there were nail marks streaked across her left cheek, blood trickling from them in a steady stream.

"She hit you. …Again."

"Brilliant observational skills."

He stood and stretched his hand out to her. "Would you like me to help you clean up?"

She knocked his hand away and used the wall to pull herself unsteadily to her feet. "No, I'm fine. I'm a mess, you really shouldn't see me like this."

"You must really want to marry me," he chuckled. It wasn't funny; it was not a funny situation, but he did have excellent observational skills.

She was in front of the mirror now, glaring at him through the glass, scowling.

He raised his hands defensively. "Just an observation."

He was also observing her without any glamour at all, he realized. Her hair was fine and flat and she wasn't full-figured. All angles beneath her night gown, and yet a natural, simplistic beauty. Just like the mechanic glamour she'd held only yesterday–stars, had it really only been a day?

She swiveled her attention back to the cuts on her cheek, wincing any time her fingers got close to brushing them.

"It'll be a lot easier if you let me do it."

Selene gave a resigned sigh and turned toward him. He grabbed a few things out of the medicine cabinet above one of the sinks–cotton balls to clean up the blood, medical salve, and butterfly bandages.

He began to mop up the blood and tears, whispering apologies every time she made a pained expression. When it was cleared enough, he noticed that the bleeding had mostly stopped. He squeezed some of the medical salve onto his finger and ran it across the cuts.

He felt her entire body tense as he touched her, but he tried not to let her know that he'd noticed.

Kai wiped his hand on his pants and applied a few bandages, before leaning in slightly to assess his work. He touched a finger just under her chin as he gently nudged her head up to view it from a different angle.

"Perfect." His eyes traveled to hers and the corners of his lips quirked up. "It'll be healed in no time."

* * *

The way he looked at her made her so, so nervous. She realized too late that she hadn't been able to maintain her glamour at all–the large mirror that took up almost an entire wall didn't help, either, and now he knew exactly what she looked like. He hadn't said anything, hadn't made any remark–didn't even grimace. She watched his eyes scrape over her form as he moved to help with her injury, and the look in his eyes made it seem like he was _attracted _to her. The thought gave her goose bumps.

When he moved her head to assess his work after having patched her up, her heart probably stopped, or at least skipped a beat or six.

She thought she may move to kiss him–on her own accord or not, she wasn't sure, but just as the thought had invaded her mind enough to let her do it, there was a heavy thunking at the door.

Kai jumped back and dropped his hand away. "Must be the guards," he said, leaving her to greet them.

The desire lingered in the air and, disappointed, Selene called up her glamour and returned to the bedroom. Kai was at the door speaking with the guards, approving of their various posts in the corridor.

When it was just the two of them again, he turned to her. "I'll leave you alone now. Are you all right?"

"I'm fine. Goodnight, Your Highness. And thank you."

"You can call me Kai." He grinned, and then disappeared into the corridor.

* * *

The next day passed mostly without incident. Queen Channary had made a few off-hand remarks in front of Kai, but at least that had been the worst of it.

Selene called up her glamour to make her look like a guard, one she'd seen slinking around the palace the night before, and used it to sneak to the 14th floor, meeting Kai just outside of the viewing room.

"You know there are a lot of cameras in the palace, right? There's always someone watching them," he said, swiping his wrist and letting her into the private theater.

"What do they care? I was going to end up over here one way or another." She took her place on one of the love seats in the center of the room–there were a lot of cushioned living chairs and a few love seats and even a single couch stationed across the small space, all placed for optimal viewing of the huge netscreen that took up an entire wall.

Kai sat next to her, kicking out the footrest and leaning back. "Netscreen, on. Play: Andromeda Rising." He regarded her with a smile. "Ready to have your mind blown?"

She laughed. "Good luck with that."

The movie score played out around them and Selene actually found herself rather engrossed in the plot. It wasn't nearly as serious as she'd expected it to be, and ended up laughing a lot at the awkward humor. It was silly, and the effects were a little outdated for a film made so recently, but she suspected it was intentional, that it was meant to increase the charm. She thought it did.

The lights flicked on automatically as the movie ended. Kai twisted his head to look at her. "Well?"

"For future reference, I like those movies the best."

He smirked. "I thought you might like it. Want me to walk you back?"

"No, I'll just use my glamour again," said Selene.

A crease formed on the bridge of his nose and he scowled slightly, remembering the previous night. "No, I'll accompany you back, okay?"

Her features softened. "Honestly, Kai. You don't have to be such a gentleman all of the time."

"What can I say? It's in my blood."

The walk back was silent and there was very clearly a tension between them that hadn't been present before. Kai was comforted when he saw the guards patrolling as normal when they reached the guest wing.

Selene swiped the temporary ID chip she'd been given for her visit, embedded into a snug bracelet she wore around her right wrist, and then turned to Kai. "I would really like for that to be a nightly thing when I visit now. I want to see every movie that you like!" Her eyes flickered to a guard stationed just outside her door–not five feet from them. She'd caught the tail-end of his smirk. Clearing her throat, she gave Kai a shy look. "Thanks for being so nice to me, Kai. I know I don't deserve it."

"You're starting to," he said simply.

With that, her eyes brightened. "Goodnight, Kai."

"Goodnight," he whispered. Then, he paused and craned his head, placing a gentle kiss against her cheek. When he stepped back, he dipped his head at her, his skin shading a slight pink, and then walked away.

Selene melted into her room, unable to keep the smile from her face.

She went to the bathroom to prepare for bed and noticed a new light in her eyes, the fact that the muscles in her face were beginning to ache from not relaxing, how her heart was still palpitating.

Maybe now he would finally fall in love with her.

* * *

_Stars_, he was an idiot.

He'd fallen for her tricks, hadn't he? She made him believe she was different, that she wasn't terrible like her mother, that she had a heart that was more than just stone and the shattered souls of children.

And, good stars above, he couldn't convince himself that it was all just a charade.

They were leaving in the morning, and though they'd be back in a month and a half for the annual ball, he would at least have that time to really think over what was going on.

If he still felt this way when she was gone, then that meant it was real.

He wasn't sure if he wanted it to be.

The length of time between their visits were typically a lot longer–sometimes lasting a year at a time, but he was glad she would be back soon.

To this, he wondered if she could possibly control him from the other side of the palace. Which was ridiculous, he knew, but Kai didn't want to believe that he was actually falling for her.

He dragged his palms down the sides of his face, falling backwards onto his bed.

He was definitely the biggest idiot this side of the planet. What would people say if they found out he actually liked Princess Selene? The spitting image of the cruel and selfish Lunar Queen Channary, the epitome of a spoiled princess. He could have any girl in the Commonwealth, on Earth, yet it was Selene that had captured him.

It was like a sick joke.

Despite having decided that he wouldn't dwell on it until after they'd left, when he could be completely certain, he spent the entire night staring at the ceiling and trying to figure out exactly when it was that the first spark ignited in him.

By the time his morning alarm sounded at 07:00, he had come to the conclusion that his feelings started when he discovered that she had a heart, somewhere beneath her hardened exterior. Maybe he had always just projected her mother's own cruelness onto her. Selene had still been cruel in the past, but it had never been to Channary's extent.

He forced himself out of bed and took a long shower, trying to help himself wake up, angry that he hadn't slept for even a few minutes during the entire night, and it had been a painstaking 9 hours. Looking through the fansites set up for him was much more uncomfortable and much less fun than he remembered it being when he was younger, and threw out that idea after only ten minutes. None of the current popular net dramas kept up his attention, either. By the first hour of his sleeplessness, he resigned himself to just listening to music and trying to sort through his thoughts and emotions, though he met the sunrise with more questions than answers.

* * *

**Author's Note**: Fun Fact: When I wrote this, I intended for "Andromeda Rising" to be less a play on my pen name and more a play on "Jupiter Ascending" (which I have not seen, but apparently need to?).

I'm honestly pretty sad that this fic is coming to a close! There's only one more part left to post! Anyway, let me know what you think! I start school back tomorrow and I want to cry. I'm not ready. But it's fine.


	6. Chapter 6

The sun was bright in his eyes, blinding him with the way it reflected off of the diamond-like exterior of the Lunar spaceship, but he didn't mind.

As the ramp touched the asphalt, two figures alighted in the archway. Two guards, he knew this already. Followed by a second-tier thaumaturge, head thaumaturge Aimery, and then her.

He'd never been happier to see a Lunar in his life.

Selene was the epitome of grace and sublimity as she descended the ramp, her smile placed perfectly across her features, accentuating her lavender eyes, her brown hair, impossibly longer after the short absence, flouncing against her waist with each step.

But Kai didn't care about any of that. He knew that she was even more beautiful under that glamour, and it was only mere hours until he would be able to really see her again. They'd spent the last month and a half vid-comming at night–when they could, at least–and text comming during the day, and since manipulation couldn't transfer over the net, he knew she wasn't glamouring him into realizing these feelings for her.

There was the chance that she was lying, of course. Kai held that that was very unlikely. She got flustered far too often.

He bowed to her as she approached him and his father, lifting her hand to press a kiss against it like he always did. "Your Highness," he said, maintaining an air of professionalism. "I'm glad to see your trip was safe."

"Thank you, Prince Kaito," she said cooly, though there was a flash of a conspiracy in her eyes as his lips lingered just a bit too long on her knuckles, his hand imperceptibly squeezing hers just before dropping it.

Emperor Rikan repeated the sentiments just before Channary made her appearance.

Her glamour was beautiful, too, but hard to look at. As she descended, Kai did his best not to let his mind wander to Selene and the movie plans they'd been setting up since the day she left. All of this had been kept between them, and apparently Princess Winter as well, but Kai wasn't so much worried about her. She was trustworthy enough, but if his mind wandered in the presence of the queen, she would know everything.

Not that she was exactly blind to all of it–she knew _something _was going on, but Kai and Selene agreed that it was best for them to keep as much secret as possible.

"Your Majesty," Kai said. He bowed his head and kissed her knuckles and kept his mind clear. Clear and empty and without emotion. "We are so pleased you could attend the Annual Peace Ball."

"Thank you, Prince Kaito. I'm happy to have been invited." Queen Channary floated over to Rikan, and Kai realized he had been holding his breath.

He did not let his gaze float to Selene, but he could just about _feel _her eyes boring a hole through his temple. She was off to the side. Greeting Torin, her eyes shifting to him. He could feel all of it. He was attune to her energy, like he was gifted, too.

Maybe this was love.

Maybe he was a complete idiot.

* * *

Kai inhaled. Exhaled. The trumpets blared from the speakers set up throughout the ballroom.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Her Highness, Princess Selene Blackburn of Luna."

Half-hearted applause spread throughout the crowd, but Kai just smiled.

She was celestial, standing at the top of the stairs. He knew it was only glamour, but he let himself imagine what she would look like if she hadn't been using her glamour. If it was just her and that amethyst ballgown and those gloves.

He wished others could see it, too. It wouldn't be so hard to believe he'd fallen for her if the rest of the world knew how she really was when Channary wasn't around.

Selene's heel landed on the marble flooring of the room and her eyes met Kai's and he didn't hear them announce the Queen, because there was only Selene. Selene, and Kai. It was like they were the only two in the room, though he had to pretend he did not care that she was there. That he did not mean it when the band began to play and he bowed to her, asked her to dance. It was all diplomacy. To anyone watching, it was probably all manipulation. He did not really want this.

But, stars above, he wanted it so much.

They'd danced the entire length of the ballroom, their bodies moving in perfect synchrony. As the orchestra ended one song and began to play another, he met her eyes. "How about we take a break?" He inclined his head towards the double doors that lead outside. "The terrace is right over there. Think you can glamour us out of here?"

Selene gave a cursory glance around the ballroom. "We're a drunk couple," she explained. "We're just going to enjoy the view of the gardens."

"Of course."

Getting past the guards had been easy. They were reluctant at first, but Selene managed to convince them. Kai felt a little bad for it, but it could be useful sometimes, he had to admit. It was for the greater good, or something.

They both sat on the stone edge of the fountain, and she dropped her glamour.

Kai reached over and brushed a strand of hair out of her face, resting his palms against her cheeks. "Well, it's nice to see you again," he said.

Selene took his wrists and blushed. "I've missed you, Kai."

"I've missed you, too."

He did not let the silence engulf them, and he filled the space between them quickly, his lips finding hers in the moonlight.

She gasped at first, before leaning in instead, letting go of his wrists and wrapping her arms around his shoulders. Kai hoped she'd called up her glamour, just in case. There were no cameras by the fountain, he knew, so they didn't have to worry about security personnel seeing them, at least.

The rest of the world seemed to melt away for that moment. He'd wanted to kiss her every day since she left, and here she was, _kissing him back_. He wrapped his arms around her waist and deepened the kiss, hoping it wouldn't end, knowing it would have to.

Someone would eventually notice them missing.

She broke away from him, panting just slightly. "Someone will notice we're missing if we don't get back," said Selene.

He frowned. "I was just thinking about that."

Selene caught his lips again just before he moved to stand up.

"I've already glamoured us again," she said, breaking off the second kiss. "Let's go and act really confused if someone asks where we've been."

"Sounds like a plan." Kai smiled.

* * *

They sneaked into the viewing room at 00:47, after a long day of pretending to only be merely tolerable of each other. They didn't believe anyone was prepared to hear that he'd fallen for the princess of Luna, not when they all thought she was as cruel as her mother, so they had to act as if nothing had happened between them.

All they'd had so far was their "break" in the gardens, and that had not been nearly long enough. Kai was pretty terrible at hiding his emotions, so Selene had to use her glamour to make him just seem coolly indifferent. All with his consent, of course.

"What've you got for me?" she asked, curling into his side.

He snaked an arm around her waist. "Comme des Amies. Second Era Romantic Comedy from France. There are subtitles. The dub just isn't the same."

"Romantic Comedy, huh? I thought we agreed that I hate those?"

He shrugged. "This is a French RomCom. I think you'll like it more than the America one I showed you."

She rested her head on his shoulder. "All right. If you say so."

He grinned. "Netscreen, play."

Selene spent half of the film reading the subtitles. From what she gathered, it was about two women who fell in love. It was a good movie, though she felt it lacked a real ending. There was no real sense of closure as the credits began to roll. That had been a little annoying. She did have the chance to learn that Paris was beautiful before the third world war, though. She never learned about Earth's history in her Lunar schooling.

Selene spent the other half of the film elsewhere. In her head, in his arms, in their unrealistic future. Happy. Together.

Elsewhere.

She'd finally gotten what she wanted. With _honesty_. Who knew Winter would be right about dating on Earth? Maybe it was once that way on Luna–perhaps it still was for commoners. She wouldn't know.

Or maybe she'd just realized that she _did_ know. Love didn't have to be a lie, did it? Not a conquest. Not a war. Something.

The lights turned up. Kai shifted, pressed a light kiss into her hair. "Did you like it?" he asked.

"It was cute."

"So I was right!" She could hear the smile in his voice.

"Whatever," she said, giggling. "It's late. Should we go?"

She counted three beats of her heart before he spoke again. "You're leaving tomorrow," Kai said, "and stars know when I'll get to see you again."

"Right. Another movie, then?"

"If you're up to it."

"I can't think of anything better."

He said something to the screen and she didn't catch the title. He regarded her as the netscreen started a search for the film.

Kai turned more towards her and gathered her up in his arms. He was so warm and so close. Her chest against his. She could feel his heart beating, wondered if he could feel hers. She strung her hands around his neck and smiled at him.

He frowned. "I don't want you to leave tomorrow."

She brushed her fingers along the hair on his neck. He shivered. "I don't want to leave, either. We'll figure something out."

He wet his lips. Two more heartbeats. "I love you, Selene."

She smiled. Blushed. Her stomach flipped. Everything she had ever wanted. "I love you, too."

Kai pulled her in for a kiss. Soft, slow, coaxing. Always coaxing. Like it would never end. Like it didn't have to.

When he pulled away, he ran his fingers through her hair.

"Are you sure? That you love me, I mean?" Her voice was hardly above a whisper.

"More than anything."

He pulled her flush against his side as the opening score of the movie started to play.

"Whatever happens in the future," he said, his nose buried in her hair, "with the alliance or with your mother, no matter what, we'll be okay, Selene. We're going to be just fine."

To this, she responded by burying her face into the crook of his neck, brushing her lips lightly across his skin.

Selene had now made the most important discovery that she ever would.

Love was not a conquest. It was not a war.

It was an adventure.

* * *

**Author's Note**: IT'S OVER. I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S OVER. I hope the ending wasn't disappointing. Do you like it? Do you hate it? Are you surprised? Shocked? Outright annoyed? I'm anxious to know!


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